The Slayers' Jungle Gym
by Omoni
Summary: A dumping ground for all of my Slayers drabbles, containing mostly Lina/Gourry fics, but will feature other characters as well. These are non-linear and contain spoilers for the series.
1. Golden Phantom

_Writer's Note: As a celebration for four years of writing crap on the internet, I proposed a little fic meme on my livejournal, the first of which was a request for more Slayers fics! So, as per pharaoh_999's request, here is a fic, with the prompt "ghost or vision"!_

**Warning: Takes place during Slayers TRY and contains spoilers.**

Gourry's heart raced within his chest so fast that he thought it would burst.

He listened to the words that Lina chanted, and even though he wasn't quite sure what they meant, they sent chills down his spine. The way her hands shone bright gold, the way the air suddenly felt warmer, and especially the way her eyes stayed closed during the whole time…it made him fear for her.

It made him scared for her.

In a single moment, it seemed like his whole world consisted only of her and her chanted words. She seemed enveloped in that golden light that, while beautiful, seemed more deadly than a sharpened knife held to the throat.

Her voice grew louder, and suddenly Gourry knew that she was reaching the end of the spell. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to shout to her, to tell her to stop, to tell her to forget about it, that the risk was too great…

But something made him stop. The words dried up in his throat, and his mouth went dry. Because if he looked close enough, he could see…_something..._surrounding Lina as she stood, arms up, hands held together.

He stared, feeling like he was unable to breathe. There was something horribly familiar about it, something that made him feel uncomfortable, almost lonely…

It was almost the shape of a woman…

But then, just as Lina was about to finish, the shape, and the magic along with it, vanished into nothing. In its place were two white figures, so bright that they were almost too painful to look at.

_This is a world of ghosts, a place of spirits…_ Gourry found himself thinking suddenly.

The two figures slammed what looked like weapons into two control panels, and then Gourry saw nothing else for a long time.

But he would never forget that golden woman, and the fear that, upon seeing her, had made his heart ache.


	2. Nightmares

**Warning: Occurs post-NEXT and contains spoilers.**

They were rare, but that only ensured that they would pack a punch.

Lina hated them. All of her life, she had prided herself in being a happy, optimistic person. When things got hard, she punched her way through. When it looked like too much, she held out her plate and asked for more.

That was during the day. During the night, it was always another story.

The first was after the fight with Rezo. It was, compared to future ones, pretty tame, but she had still woken up with a start and found herself covered in sweat, her heart racing. She hadn't woken anyone, which was a relief, but the fear lingered under her skin for the rest of the day. She had been moody and irritable, and only when she was promised all the food she could it did she manage to shake the feeling off.

The worst ones were after fighting Phibrizzo.

It was understandable, really. No one could stand there and watch their friends die before their eyes and come out of such a thing unscathed. No one could also watch the one person that, until recently, they hadn't realised they loved with all of their heart almost die for real as well without feeling it.

But, somehow, along the way, as the nightmares changed and twisted according to what she experienced, getting worse and worse as she tried to suppress them, she realised that she wasn't as alone as she had first thought.

The first night was months after that horrible battle. It was the worst yet, horrifically graphic and a complete exaggeration of what had actually occurred, and she woke up to the sounds of her own screams. She had thrashed out, trying to punch away the images, trying to stop them from flooding into her mind. Her fingers met resistance, and her ears were deaf to anything but the sound of her friends' dying screams.

It was only when her hands were held immobile did she manage to get her mind to surface. Trembling from head-to-toe, she focused, her eyes blurred with tears, only to find Gourry's eyes staring back at her. It took another few minutes to realise that he was speaking to her.

"Lina, wake up!" he was saying, his voice high with panic. "It's just a dream, it's not real!"

_Not real_, his words echoed, _not real, not real, not real…_

_It _is_ real. They're dead, all because of me…_

_You couldn't save them….it's all your fault._

_If they had never met you…_

"Lina!" and here, his voice carried a horrible sound, one akin to an animal shrieking from its pain. She felt him shaking her. "Wake up!"

And she did. Her eyes slid over to his again, and they focused. He stared back, his face a mask of worry and fear. Without thinking, she reached out a hand and gently brushed her fingers over his cheeks. They shook.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Sorry."

Gourry pulled her close, hugging her tightly. "Don't scare me like that!" he pleaded into her shoulder. Mutely, she hugged him back, feeling both her own body as well as his trembling. She shut her eyes, feeling his warmth and love, and it was enough to chase away the residue the images had left.

It wasn't the last time he would have to, in a way, rescue her from her nightmares. If it had been anyone else, she would have been humiliated and angry, but with Gourry…it was something else entirely. During the daylight hours, it was never mentioned, but at night, when they were alone together, it was like another world, another plane of existence that consisted of only them, and it made facing it all easier.


	3. Field Trip

**Warning: Occurs between NEXT and TRY and may contain spoilers.**

"Okay, Gourry."

"Okay, Lina!"

"We're going, like it or lump it."

"Where are we going, Lina!"

Lina paused, her fork halfway to her mouth. "I…don't know yet. But it's going to be awesome!"

Gourry slapped a hand to his forehead, groaning. "You got me excited for nothing!" he complained.

Lina leaned over and snatched up a lamb chop from his plate in reply. "You should be excited! It's exciting to wander aimlessly!"

Gourry sulked. "We do that every day. Why can't we have a plan for once?"

Lina rolled her eyes. "Oh, go play with a map, you big baby."

"I would, but you burned them all."

Lina's reply was to start shovelling all of his food into her mouth, which resulted in an all-out brawl.

When the dust settled and both were full and content, Gourry tried again. "So where are we going?" he wondered.

Ina sighed, leaning back and picking at her teeth. "Uhm…I was thinking maybe someplace north? Someplace nice?"

Gourry made a face. "That's not detailed enough for me."

"What is?"

Gourry ignored that. "I think we should try to actually plan something out this time, make a schedule, work with a time limit."

"That's boring," Lina answered flatly. "And stupid."

Gourry opened his mouth to reply with something scathing, but she cut him off, "but, since I don't have ideas, do what you want. Just make it interesting."

He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Confused, he checked the dishes around her, making sure that there was nothing that contained alcohol. It didn't escape her notice. "What do you think you're doing?" she wondered, her voice low.

"You never let me decide," he answered honestly. "So I thought you were drunk."

The plate that crashed into his head was perfectly aimed, so that proved his theory wrong.

Much later, Gourry had successfully managed to grab hold of a map, and was happily examining it. Lina was standing a bit away, her arms crossed, a look of ill amusement on her face. It was obvious that she was regretting her decision.

"Okay," Gourry closed the distance and showed her the map, which she looked at with feigned interest. "If we keep heading east, we can reach this little place here, which, it turns out, is a place we've never been to before."

Lina sighed. "Maybe there's a reason why we haven't been there."

"Cheer up, Lina!" Gourry replied excitedly. "This could be an adventure waiting to happen!"

"Or death."

Which resulted in Lina being held in a head-lock for a good ten minutes while Gourry explained the rest of his plan.

On the road, Lina had to admit that Gourry's idea wasn't the worst in the world. It certainly was on the scenic side, and the air was fresh and crisp. It was a nice change of pace from all of the villages they had been caught in.

"Just wait," Gourry said excitedly. "This is going to be the best."

"Where are we going, exactly?" she wondered.

"You can't spoil the surprise!" he answered sternly.

It was only when they found themselves standing before a cave that Lina started to feel a little sliver of worry. "Gourry, what is this?" she demanded.

Gourry threw out his hands. "This is the place!"

"The place of what?"

"Our field trip!"

Lina stared at him through narrowed eyes. "Are you just getting stupider?"

Gourry grabbed her by the hand and dragged her in with a laugh.

His laughs turned to shouts when, upon entering, they found themselves face-to-face with a group of very nasty and very hungry-looking vampire bats.

Needless to say, it was the last time that Gourry ever picked out a trip for them, _ever._


	4. Blood

**Warning: Takes place during NEXT and contains spoilers.**

They were going to lose.

That much was clear. No matter how hard they fought, no matter how much magic and strength was used, Gaav was just too powerful to best.

The fact that he was still alive after taking the full force of a Ragna Blade was proof of that.

And now, as her mouth filled with blood, and she staggered to the ground before Gaav, all Lina could focus on was, _we're going lose. We're going to die…_

The worst part was that hers wasn't the last blood that would be spilt that day. She had to watch as Gourry and Zelgadis each took turns facing down – and being beaten – Gaav while she tried to recover her strength.

_Why isn't it enough? Why can't we beat him?_

_Why are we even fighting this battle?_

_Do we all have to die before it ends?_

_Will we bathe this valley in our blood before our victory?_

Lina felt herself trembling, dragging herself towards the fight, calling out her friends' names in desperation. She could taste the blood, feel the precious amount of energy she had leave her, but all she could see was red, and all she could hear was the screams of her friends.

_It has to stop._

_IT HAS TO STOP!_

And suddenly, thankfully, it did. Amelia's sharp bell of a voice rang out, and the bloodbath ceased.

For a moment. Always a moment. Always fleeting.

But all Lina could think of was, _it has to stop…_


	5. Fire

**Warning: Takes place post-TRY and contains spoilers. It's also safe to say that this particular fic takes place after my series.**

In the dark of the night, even after all of these years, nothing got the blood humming within her than the sight of her own fire.

She had had a long, fulfilling life; she knew that. You don't watch two young girls grow up and become women without realising that there was some success in life. She had made mistakes. She could have done better. But Lina knew that, bottom line, her life was an accomplishment.

And now, even settled into her late years, with her hair showing white and her face showing lines, she still could find joy in razing a simple bandit camp, just like she had all of those decades ago.

The fire sparked from her fingertips, lighting all around her with a flickering shimmer. If she wasn't careful, the flames would hypnotise her into losing control, but she knew how to keep it at bay. The heat filled her body, sang in her blood, and she was content enough. She would not lose control.

The air was full of the screams and cries of dismay as she devoured the camp with her element and took what was now hers. Her smile was permanently stuck on her face. Her heart was racing within her breast.

She could only hope that her daughters would find this same joy and excitement in their own travels, even if it was just an ounce of what she felt now.

She felt young, newborn, free. A dozen aches that had announced themselves over the years washed away. She was able to dance, to weave through the bodies, to move without hesitation.

She made the flames dance. She made them thread through the air, tracing intricate patterns, the sounds of the bandits a sweet melody that accompanied the roar of the fire.

Lina knew that, until her last breath, she would always be fire's slave. And she welcomed it with held-up hands.


	6. Eyes of Ice

_Writer's Note: Written for Pharoah_999 as a request. Hope you like it!_

**Warning: Takes place during NEXT and contains spoilers.**

The moment she hit the ground she knew she was a goner. There just wasn't any other way to think about it. Despite having this guy outnumbered, Lina and her friends were still completely outmatched.

She barely had time to recover from her fall before the man in the mask was hovering over her, the stolen Sword of Light in his hands and held over her. She gritted her teeth, meeting his cold gaze with her own, scrambling to find a solution out of this, desperately trying to piece together a plan.

The worst part, the very worst part, was looking death in the face and having to realise that the Sword of Light, Gourry's pride and joy, had been _stolen_ from him.

The moment her eyes met his, it was almost as if something cracked within her. She felt her body stiffen, like she had been frozen. The eyes before her were cold, heartless, seemingly made of the coldest of ice, but when she met them, they flickered, wavering a little.

And to her surprise, the man put a hand to his head and groaned, staggering back. Lina felt her breath catch, especially when the eyes opened again, and she could see that the careful blankness had vanished, only to be replaced by confusion, and hatred, and anger.

Something was _familiar_ about that gaze...

But then, even when she felt like she was seconds from figuring it out, the man gave a yell, came forward, and swung the pilfered Sword of Light, intent on her demise. She didn't even have time to scream, or breathe, or _blink—_

And then someone held her in his arms and yanked her away, and she realised who it was – Zangulus - and her heart seemed to shred a little.

_Because if _he's _here, then that means..._

But she had no time to finish that thought. The real fight had begun.


	7. Failure

_Writer's Note: A prompt from Fearlessfirefly, an AU idea of what would happen if Lina was alone when casting the Giga Slave.  
_

**Warning: Occurs post-NEXT and contains spoilers.**_  
_

* * *

It was a foolish plan, one that was bound to end in pain. But Lina couldn't see it working any other way - the Giga Slave had always been her trump card, and had always worked when she needed it. Of course it was obvious that there were risks, but if it saved the day, what did it matter?

She cast it perfectly - she felt that in her bones. The words flew from her lips and threw themselves up into the heavens, showering her with power and strength. Even without the Sword of Light, she knew it would work, she was strong, she could take it...

Something balked.

Lina's eyes widened, her body already encased in that telltale glow of golden-black. She froze, her hands out, unsure if what had just happened had actually happened. It was only when she felt that same jolt again, and felt something inside of her weaken, that she realised she was in trouble.

_No,_ she wanted to scream, feeling her control slip away, but her words were silenced. She wanted to cry, to scream out, to fight run from this, but she was rooted to the spot.

And it ended all so suddenly. The moment the spell reached its climax, everything deep within her seemed to flicker out and join it. When the spell's light reached up with ghostly fingers and ripped a hole into the sky, Lina dropped to her knees and watched. And when the spell used the last of her life to consume the life of thousands of others, Lina's eyes stayed open.


	8. Unfinished Business

_Writer's Note: A prompt from Fearlessfirefly, an AU idea of what would happen if Gourry died and returned as a ghost to haunt Lina (with fluffy results).  
_

* * *

Gourry didn't remember much about what happened. He wasn't too surprised about this, but even he figured hat something as pivotal as his own death would be something to remember...but oh well.

He remembered a lot of fire, lots of screaming, and something hurting like hell. he remembered Lina's tear stained face, her threats that if he died she would kill him, and thinking, _Well, okay, I wonder if it's possible to die twice_.

For a while, there was nothing but darkness.

And then he woke up here, sitting on the edge of Lina's bed, watching her curled up on her side and sobbing.

He blinked, then looked at his hands. They were normal....ish. He could see through them to the floor below, but they had some colour to them, so that wasn't too bad. When he poked the bed a little, his fingertip made a tiny indent, about half of what it would have made in normal circumstances, but it still counted for something.

So he leaned over and poked Lina's leg.

She jumped, so startled that she gasped, and she sat up. She looked towards him, her eyes falling on him before sliding away again...and then they went back. And stared.

"Hey," he said with a smile, waving.

He wasn't surprised when she shrieked, but _was_ surprised when she tried to punch him.  


* * *

  
"How can you be here?" she wondered, sounding bewildered and lost, her face still wet. "You...you're...gone."

"Yeah," Gourry nodded, scratching the back of his head and finding he could. "I'm not too sure about it, either. But I don't think I mind!"

Lina stared, her mouth open. Her eyes were dark, but ever since she managed to calm down from the shock of seeing him, there was tiny spark of their old fire deep within them again.

Slowly, she smiled, a small and flickery gesture. "I don't, either."


	9. Little Thief

_Writer's Note: A prompt from Pharoah 999. It takes place after my series of fics and contains spoilers.  
_

* * *

It was a standard, once every few months trip. Lina and Gourry tried their best to make it to Zephilia, especially considering how much Yuki and Ana loved their aunt (and her fuzzy and gigantic dog-like friend). They had made it dozens of times before, and it was like second nature.

So why the hell was it so hard right now?

"Ana-chan," Lina said slowly, trying very hard not to explode, for she knew how unhelpful it would be to scream. "Where is your sister?"

Ana hid her face in her bushy curtain of hair, refusing to come out. Her hands were held behind her back, and she kicked at the dirt with one foot – the standard stance of a guilty kid. "I dunno," she muttered.

"Liar," Lina answered, arms crossed. "Where is your sister?"

Gourry peered over his shoulder, his hands busy with the tarp-ties for the tent. "Maybe she went to take a pit-stop," he offered.

"Like hell," Lina answered. "Ana-chan knows something. Where is your sister, Ana-chan?"

Ana's head lowered further, the tips of her ears burning bright red. "Wenttotheforest," she mumbled.

Lina wasn't fooled. "Why?"

"Todosomfing."

"What, Ana-chan?"

"Promisednottotell."

Lina growled – quietly at first before escalating into something louder. Gourry's hand went to her shoulder in an instant, and she scowled, muttering under her breath about husbands and first born daughters and death.

"Ana-chan, we have to kip in for the night and it's getting dark," Gourry said with a slight smile. "Sometimes few lesser demons pop up in the forest at night, and--,"

Ana's head shot up, her eyes huge. "She went to practise swordplay in the forest!" she yelped.

Lina's eyebrows shot up, looking at Gourry from the corner of her eye, but he didn't so much as blink. "So what?" Lina replied. "Why is that such a big deal?"

"Uh…" Ana's face went red.

Gourry sighed and went back to the tent, rummaging through the bags carefully. Lina suddenly got a bad feeling about that, and she glowered at her youngest with her best glower. "Yup," he reported. "She took my sword."

"Dammit!" Lina snarled, wheeling away from both Ana and Gourry and stomping towards the forest. "All I wanted was to head home and harass my sister and maybe scare the crap out of some merchants and this is what I get?" Her voice faded into the trees as she walked away. "Thieving daughters who play with swords and a husband who eats onions before bed…"

Gourry reddened at this, but Ana pretended not to notice. "Mom's gone crazy again, huh?" she said flatly.

"I'm more worried about your sister," Gourry smiled weakly.

* * *

Lina found Yuki holding the sword awkwardly in front of a sapling, her arms shaking from the weight of the blade. She was stronger than most girls her age, but the sword in her hands was designed for a male warrior more than twice her age.

"Yuki-chan!" Lina shouted, lunging forward and snatching the sword out of her hands, then smashing her fist onto the top of the blonde head. "What have I told you about stealing your father's sword?"

Yuki rubbed her head and scowled. "Make sure I don't leave any evidence of my crime?"

Lina smiled dangerously, her eyes flashing. "You're a smartass, you know."

"I learn from the master."

"What is it about this sword, huh?" Lina demanded, holding the sword awkwardly – it was heavy for her as well. "Do you like feeling your muscles scream in pain? Do you like not being able to carry things for days afterward?"

Yuki's scowl intensified. "No," she answered. "It's not that at all."

"Then what is it, Yuki-chan?"

She sighed. "I just thought that by starting with a bigger sword I would be able to get stronger faster. If I get used to big swords, small swords will be easier."

Lina froze, knowing logic when she heard it. "But Yuki-chan," she said slowly, trying to match her words with her thoughts. "It's better to start with a sword suited for you, especially since _this_ sword was made for your father."

"I know," Yuki nodded slowly, her head lowering.

Lina thought for a moment. "So why steal it? Why not just ask me to make one for you?"

"Because…" And here she started mumbling. "I didn't want to ask you about it. I wanted to be strong on my own, like you were."

Lina blinked. "Me?"

"Uh huh. By the time you were twelve, you were almost on the road."

Lina smiled, ruffling Yuki's cap of hair affectionately. "But you're you, Yuki-chan. Not me."

Yuki batted at her hands. "But you're a hero!"

Lina grinned. "Mm, true," she replied. "But you can be a hero in your own time. In your own way. I don't what a copycat daughter!"

Yuki blinked, smiling a little. "I'm not copying you," she answered. "I'm copying _Dad_. He's _cool_."

Lina glared, her smile fading. "Your father can't even throw a fireball," she answered. "Get your ass back to the camp before I set it on fire, Yuki-chan."

She did, but it came close, anyway.


	10. Congratulations

_Writer's Note: A prompt from Pharoah 999. It takes place after "Wedding Bell Blues" but before "The Blood That Runs Deep".  
_

* * *

It was when Yuki was born that Lina had a visitor.

She was resting, drifting in and out of sleep aimlessly when it happened. She felt a faint breeze and heard the sound of misplaced air, and she froze, her eyes opening and sliding over to where the sound came from. She was still sore, and still very tired, but she wasn't tired enough to ignore what she was seeing.

A figure stood, looking out the open window, a look of wistfulness on his ageless face. A smile was plastered on his lips, and his eyes were permanent crescents beneath a curtain of purple hair. Lina's body filled with rage and adrenaline, and she was relieved that Gourry was outside and getting her food.

"What are you doing here?" she growled softly, her voice hoarse. It had been a hard labour – worth it – but something she didn't want to go through again right away.

"Can't a friend stop by when she gives birth, Lina-san?" Xellos wondered idly, not turning to her.

"I told you never to come back," she answered, slowly rising into a sitting-up position. "I told you never, ever to come back. You…you…" her voice choked a little, and she winced, a hand going to her middle when a slight twinge hit her. "…bastard."

Xellos turned to her now, his face impassive. "You have a little girl, now," he said in reply, walking over to the slightly lopsided cradle and peering in. A lance of fear jabbed into her heart, and she shouted out, "Get away from her!"

He jerked back, the mask slipping just a split second before returning. He took a few steps back from the cradle, just as Lina managed to get to her feet and shakily lurch towards it, standing in front of it with one hand braced behind her, the other held in front of her. "_Get away from us_," she hissed, her eyes blazing with the uncast fires deep within.

"Lina-san," he tried, his hands held out and empty – he didn't even have his staff – but she flinched, and he lowered them. "I'm not here to hurt you – I'm here to congratulate you."

Lina's eyes narrowed, and a small spark of fire lit over her palm before spluttering out; this soon after giving birth rendered her magic useless, at least until the bleeding stopped. There was panic, just for second, before she clawed her hand and held it out before her anyway. "Why? What does your master want? She's a _baby_, and she's of no use to you."

Xellos stood there, his face blank but dark. Without a word, he suddenly vanished, leaving nothing behind to indicate he had even been there.

Nothing, except Lina's racing heart. She leaned into the cradle and scooped Yuki up into her arms, holding her close to her breast and trembling. She shut her eyes and gritted her teeth, rocking Yuki slowly without stopping, not for a long time.


	11. Matrimonial Details

_Writer's Note: A prompt from Pharoah 999!  
_

**Warning: Occurs pre-Wedding Bell Blues and may contain spoilers_._**_  
_

* * *

"Hmm..." Lina's cheek was cupped by her hand, her eyes dark with budding apathy. Gourry stifled the urge to roll his eyes or shout something to wake her up. They had been at this for _hours_, and she _still_ hadn't made a decision, yet. It was _one simple thing_! Just one, so why was it such a huge deal?

Her eyes raked over the words again, narrowing over a specific word every now and then. "But I don't really _like_ blue…" she said slowly.

Gourry bit the inside of his cheek before speaking. "We can have another colour."

"I want something fancy, something weird and unique. Something unique."

And, _snap_.

"We don't have that option," Gourry growled. "We're on a budget."

Lina's head jerked up, her eyes sparking to life. _At least that was something_. "Are you arguing with me?" she demanded needlessly.

Gourry opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "Because you really shouldn't be arguing with me. You asked me what my opinion was when it came to this wedding. You wanted my choices and assured me I would have _whatever I wanted_."

"Within reason!" he broke in helplessly.

Lina bared her teeth, sitting up and slapping her hands onto the table. "Maybe I'll just get married without you!" she snarled before stalking away.

Gourry slapped a hand to his forehead. Even _he_ knew the lack of logic in _that_…


	12. Bad Babysitter

_Writer's Note: This fic is set before "The Blood That Runs Deep" as a fic for Pharoah_999. So while there aren't major spoilers, there could be? Yeah._

* * *

Amelia was a terrible babysitter.

Amelia had always figured that she would do well with children. Really, she was like a child herself - always happy, prone to giggles, loving games and stories and silly things. So really, dealing with two little girls shouldn't have been a problem. It should have been _easy_.

Lina had tried to warn her. "These two brats are monsters," she said, holding the girls in question by an ear each, talking loudly over their whines. "They will eat you up and spit you out. Are you _sure_ you want to deal with this?"

Gourry glared at Lina, and Amelia knew why: this was one of the few chances that the couple had had to spend out of the house and on their own and without children, and without Amelia, their little mini-break would have to be canceled. Both parents loved their girls, but even the best of parents need breaks, and Amelia was happy to offer her help.

Despite the warnings.

"It will be fine, Lina-san!" Amelia chirped with a smile, really and truly believing that it would be. "Ana-chan and Yuki-chan are such sweethearts!" And indeed they certainly acted that way when they visited her in Seyruun. They should even be moreso in their own home, right?

_Right?_

Lina shrugged and let go of her daughters. "Okay," she said. "Your choice. Let's go, kurage."

Gourry leapt to his feet with a whoop and grabbed his backpack, slinging it over his shoulders. Then he grabebd his wife and slung _her_ over his shoulder. She screamed, and he dashed out of the house before Amelia could change her mind, Lina's screams fading along the way.

"Well," Amelia blinked, somewhat taken aback. She looked at the two girls, who were staring at her with blank faces. "Would you like some breakfast?"

Ana's small and sweet face suddenly broke into a wild-looking smirk. "Yes," she agreed. Yuki looked over at her with a mildly surprised look, but Ana ignored her. "We want breakfast."

"Okay," Amelia agreed. "Now, I'm not great at cooking, but I can make the basics."

She should have kept her mouth shut.

"Like what?" Yuki wondered, her hand going up to her short blonde locks and playing with them in what Amelia should have known was feigned innocence.

"Um, pancakes, and soups. Egg sandwiches, too."

Ana grinned wider. "We want something special," she said.

Amelia blinked once. "Special?"

Yuki nodded. "Yes, Something _very_ special."

Amelia blinked again. "Well, like what?"

Yuki looked over at Ana, who looked back. As one, they said, "We want Seyruun banquet food."

"But I don't know how to make that," Amelia said slowly. "I told you what I know how to make."

"That's what we want," Yuki said calmly, her smile wider, now.

"You don't want us to _starve_, do you?" Ana piped in, her large blue eyes even larger.

It was going to be a long, long day...


	13. Matrimony, Accidentally

_Writer's Note: A request from Fearlessfirefly. I love Sneaky!Gourry.  
_

* * *

Later, Lina realised that cake soaked in liquor was still a vice, even after all of this time. But now, she found it just as amazing as she did back in Seyruun. Perhaps even more.

They had reached this down so late in the day that Lina didn't even remember what it was called, but it didn't matter too much. It was busy, even as the night spiralled well into what would have been in any other town considered "the forbidden hours". Lina and Gourry sat side-by-side at a restaurant, the table situated outside so that Lina would be able to get a good view of the goings-on while enjoying her cake.

"Y'know what I love about the nighttime, Gourry?" she wondered now, leaning back against his chest and staring up into the lamplight-hidden sky. When Gourry made a sound akin to a response, she answered, "The sounds. Everyone is damned hyper at night."

Gourry yawned, his eyes only half-open. "I dunno," he admitted. He didn't sound affected at all by what he ate, but Lina would know in the morning for sure, since alcohol tended to suck his memory dry - moreso than usual. "Everything is loud, and it sort of smells."

"It's the smell of life, Gourry!" Lina answered, blinking hard and leaning away from him, cranking her head backward to look up into his face. "Life and sound!"

Gourry made a face. "You're drunk," he accused.

"You're stupid," Lina answered back, not wanting to bother trying to deny the obvious.

Gourry slowly got to his feet and stretched. Lina watched him, unable to keep her eyes away. He then reached down and placed a hand on her cheek with a smile, and she blushed. "Let's get some coffee, okay?"

Lina sighed, rolling her eyes and following suit. "Fine."

They walked together, Lina keeping close and holding onto his arm for support. She could still walk, but she knew that without his solid form beside her she would stumble and make an ass of herself, and really, who needed that?

Lina let her mind wander; she trusted Gourry to lead her in the right direction, and the affects of the cake as well as the late night was making her kind of dopey. When he suddenly stopped, she jerked out of a daze, snorting a little.

She peered over to where he was looking and found that Gourry was entranced by what looked like a jewel-encrusted doorway. That was when she knew for sure that he was as drunk as she - because that kind of gaudy crap would never be his cup of tea otherwise.

_Oh, well - he won't remember, anyway,_. "Want to go in?"

Gourry nodded slowly, looking absolutely smitten. "Yes, let's."

Together, arm-in-arm, they walked in through the door.

And that was when Lina's memory stopped working.

* * *

When Lina awoke the next day, her head was _throbbing_ and her mouth tasted like death. She felt sore _everywhere_, and her whole body felt weighed down by her hangover.

She groaned, a hand going to her forehead and rubbing hard, keeping her eyes shut.

And then gasped, her whole body jumping as if hit by lightning. Indeed, that was _exactly_ how it felt, and she should know - she had been hit by lightning before.

Images seemed to dance before her eyes, random and faded and fuzzy. Gourry dragging her into what looked like a quartz cave's barf, then a really old and wrinkled face. She remembered thinking something about stereotypes, Gourry's blond hair, and being hungry again. Then there were lots of words she repeated in a giggling voice, heard Gourry say the same, and then..._kissing. Lots of kissing._

Her whole body went hot, her face feeling on fire. _More than kissing. Shit._

Her eyes snapped open and looked down, focusing instantly on the mop of blond hair that was resting on her _very naked chest_.

"Ah," she gulped out, unable to even think of forming words in her shock.

Gourry seemed to hear it. Slowly, he woke up, raising his head and looking up at her with sleepy blue eyes. "Hey," he mumbled. "I'm hungry."

She stared at him. He stared back. Then she screamed. And Fireballed him. Several times.

When the smoke cleared and Lina was wrapped in blankets and standing over Gourry's still form in a pillar of rage, Gourry muttered slowly, "Oops."

"_Oops, my ass!_" Lina shrieked. "What happened last night?"

Gourry looked up, and Lina tried very hard to keep her eyes on his face. "Uuuh..."

"Oh, what am I thinking?" Lina burst out. "You were drunk - you don't remember, do you? Dammit! What the hell was I thinking? I am _never having cake again!_"

And to her horror, Gourry looked away, his face going dark and...guilty?

Lina leaned down, her voice dangerous. "Gourry," she said slowly. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

Gourry refused to look at her. "Uh," he mumbled. "Yes. I wasn't drunk."

The blood drained from her face int hat one instant. "You...weren't? You wanted to see that horrible crystal vomit place _by choice_?"

Gourry winced, leaning down and burying his face into his arms. "Yeah. I know what it was. I knew the only way to get you in there would be to influence your shyness to be...shy."

"Gourry," Lina said slowly, not looking at him now. "What was that place?"

"A....marriage chapel."

When the entire room exploded, Gourry couldn't say he was surprised.


	14. The Last Goodbye

_Writer's note: Written for Pharoah999, as a prequel to "Allure of the Night". It's really kind of grim, despite being important to the plot, so yeah. Read with caution, I guess?_

* * *

**Warning: Contains spoilers for my fic "Allure of the night" and takes place before the events of that fic. **

* * *

Soldiers usually expect to die in the midst of battle. It was the way things ended for their like; they lived in violence, and thus were doomed to face death in violence, too.

In their lives together, Gourry had come close. He had managed to avoid a violent death by sometimes as close as a hair's width - and then laugh about it later. Lina loved that about him, loved his carefree attitude, his ability to understand that perhaps he would die badly but still he wouldn't dwell on it.

If anyone had asked him, he never would have thought he would die an old man. If asked, he would have owed it to Lina.

_But he _was_ old,_ Lina realised one day, standing at his side of the bed and looking down on his sleeping form. _He's grown old without my realising it - no, without my _admitting_ it._

She watched him as he slept, listened to how his breaths came out in random gusts, almost like his remembering to take them was an afterthought. He had been sick for several days, and Lina had pegged it to a simple cold brought on by the weather change.

He had laughed it off, blowing his nose loudly and sometimes showing her the result, just to hear her scream and get her to punch him. But as the days went on, he slowed down, and now, he was bedridden, unable to find the energy to even get up for the day.

_His hair is so white,_ Lina thought numbly, her fingers going to her own hair, the colour still orange, albeit lighter. _His face is so thin, and lined...Gourry, what happened to you? Why was I so blind?_

She sat on the bed, placing her hand on his chest. He stirred, then opened his eyes a crack, the colour dim. With a jolt, Lina knew what it meant, and her heart stuttered and seized within her breast.

But he smiled, reached up and placed his hand over hers. "Lina," he chided softly. "It's very late, and you get bitchy when you don't sleep your usual thirteen hours." His voice was so frail, like old and dry paper, despite the familiar and comforting teasing.

Lina opened her mouth to reply, but something else came out instead, a sound like a croak, or the sound a cat makes when someone steps on its tail. Her eyes filled, and she gritted her teeth, her hand shaking upon his chest. She could feel his heart beating, still, but it was so faint and unevenly paced that she knew, _she knew_, and it was killing her inside.

Except she wasn't sure she _could_ die anymore.

But she said it. She had to. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

Gourry sighed, the sound long and drawn out, his eyes closing for a moment. "Feels like it," he admitted.

Something sparked within her. "You _can't leave_," she snarled, the tears falling free. She reached down and grabbed onto his shoulders, digging her fingers in. "_You can't leave! I_ was the one who was supposed to go first. _I can't live without you!_"

She was shouting desperately now, her voice a broken wail. Gourry looked at her, his eyes already so blank, his breathing already so faint. Slowly, he smiled up at her, reaching up with his hand and cupping her cheek into it. She shut her eyes, sobbing out something incoherent.

"You _can_ live without me," he said softly. She opened her eyes, her hands going up to hold his hand onto her face, his fingers already slackening. "You're smart. You're not stupid. Don't act like it now."

She barked out a laugh, more like a sob. "And _you_ would know what an idiot is, right?"

He chuckled softly, closing his eyes. "Yeah, I would."

She crumpled then, curling up on his chest and sobbing, clutching him close and not letting go. His hands touched her, but they were so light and so cold. She willed her own life to flow into him, but no matter how hard she prayed and hoped and cried, he was still dying and she could do nothing to save him.

And when she felt him breathe out his last, felt him relax beneath her, something snapped. She pleaded into his ear, told him she loved him over and over, said that she would be a better wife and a better woman if he stayed, but he was already gone.

And everything turned red before her, and she screamed. The sound could be heard for miles, but she didn't care. She wouldn't care, not for a long time. Not without being nudged into it. Not without help.


	15. Not Falling Far Enough

**Warning: Takes place post-series and after my series of fics and contains major spoilers.**

* * *

Ana was always amazed by Yuki's level of subterfuge. Granted, as the younger sister, she knew first-hand how much of a liar her sister could be, and had trouble figuring out which were true and which were lies. But she would have never imagined that the same kind of thing could be applied to their parents.

Case and point: When Ana walked into their parents' bedroom, only to find Yuki kneeling on the floor, surrounded by old books.

Ana stared. Then she hissed, "_Yuki-san!_"

The older girl jumped and went bright red, getting to her feet and turning to her sister with a look of guilt. "This isn't what it looks like," she stammered.

"It looks like you're reading Mom's secret books!"

Yuki paused, then shrugged. "Okay, so it's exactly what it looks like."

Ana threw out her hands. "Are you crazy? They'll be home with dinner any second now! Mom will barbecue you and serve you instead!"

Yuki rolled her eyes and turned her back on her sister, kneeling back in front of the books and returning to what she had been doing. Ana opened her mouth to scream, then hesitated - after all, what could be so interesting that Yuki would sneak in, steal the books, and risk being caught? In her thirteen years, Ana had learned when to weigh the pros and cons. This was one of those moments.

She walked over and crouched down at her sister's side. Before her were several books laid open side-by-side. Lina's familiar scrawl greeted her eyes, complete with magical diagrams, strangely cartoonish pictures of herself and Gourry, as well as other pictures depicting Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia, and a rather hideous drawing of Gracia.

"These are Mother's diaries!" Ana yelped.

Yuki nodded. "Yep. Don't worry. I'm sure she'd want us to see them."

"How do you figure _that_?" Ana demanded sceptically.

"Because we're her daughters and we're bound to travel one day, too," was her quick answer. Ana wondered how long she had been sitting on that reply and marveled at its simplicity; it was probably true, and yet it really had nothing to do with reading Lina's private journals.

Yuki's eyes were trailing over the figures, diagrams, and writing quickly, as if she were merely scanning them in a search for something. Ana had always admired her sister's ability to read things and absorb them, something she herself had difficulty with. Oh, sure, magical spells were easy for her - even the incantations were a cinch to memorise. But actually retaining information she had read in school or been taught? Most of the time her mind was elsewhere, on something she felt was more important, leaving little room for keeping things she deemed meaningless store in her mind.

Yuki never had that problem. Anything she read, she retained. Ana was pretty sure that even her casual skimming was a form of taking it all in. Yuki never really had a head for magic, save maybe a light spell or a flame the size of a candle, but her swordsmanship was far advanced for her age, as was her intelligence. She was book smart and had the mind of a scholar, and yet she also had advanced physical strength, endurance, and speed.

Ana was pretty sure they were breaking some sort of cosmic set of rules by merely existing, but she didn't let it bother her too much.

"Okay, I bite," Ana admitted finally. "What are you looking for?"

Yuki didn't look up, but she smiled, her smile devious and catlike. "I'm looking for hints on where to find a good sword."

Ana frowned, tilting her head to one side. "But, Yuki-san, why don't you just get Mother to make you one? Especially with your magical capacity? It would be beautiful!"

"That's boring," was the reply. "And lame. I want to work for my sword."

"Uh, I don't think Mom will do it for free."

Yuki rolled her eyes again. "Another good point. I don't want to have to stay here and do chores until I'm twenty."

Ana giggled; she knew that much was true. "But what makes you think Mom will have anything in her old books about swords?"

"Because I do."

Ana scowled and opened her mouth to scream when the sound of and opening door and loud voices interrupted her. Both girls went white, freezing in place, as they heard the words, "_Get into this kitchen now, you wolverines!_" from their mother.

Ana leapt to her feet and dashed out of the room, calling over her shoulder, "You owe me!"

Yuki blinked. Then winced, as the sound of something exploding, followed by Gourry's groans and Lina's shrill screams. Yuki hurriedly gathered up the books and stashed them back to where she found them, indeed realising that she owed her little sister _big time_.

* * *

In was in the middle of the night when Ana came to collect. She walked into Yuki's room and sat down on her legs, hard, her eyes bright blue in the dim moonlight. Yuki growled and glared and grumbled, but Ana merely held up the singed ends of her hair, and she shut up.

"What do you want, then?" Yuki mumbled.

"When you leave, take me with you."

Yuki jolted upright in the bed, staring at her sister. For her whole life, Ana was clearly a homebody. She loved to stay home and play, remaining coddled and cuddled by both of their parents. She seemed perfectly content in having a simple life.

But now, as she looked at Ana, Yuki saw something else. A kind of sadness but also a firm and decidedly tough resolution. Clearly, Ana had thought about this already and was set on going. She had never seen the smaller girl so set and serious before, not even when Lina had been kidnapped and presumed dead. It was rather humbling.

"Okay," Yuki agreed. "When I go, I'll take you with me."

Ana smiled brightly, her previous seriousness gone in that one gesture. She reached forward and threw herself at Yuki, hugging her hard, before scrambling off of her bed and vanishing back into her own room. Yuki sighed, rubbing the back of her neck slowly, wondering if it was such a good idea, after all.

* * *

It took a few months, but eventually Yuki found something worth getting into. She had been going through the journals every chance she got, and when she finally hit on that thing, she got so excited she was almost caught. The very next day, she told Ana, even showing her the notes she made from Lina's journals.

Ana read them over, her large eyes slowly raking over her sister's messy scrawl. She then frowned, the gesture serious. "This is nuts," she said finally. She held up the paper and pointed to one of the pictures. "That's a diagram for a Mazoku. Are you crazy?"

Yuki glared at her. "It's a low-level Mazoku, and besides, Mom's been training us how to fight them since we were babies. It's not going to be a problem." Her expression suddenly turned devious. "Why, are you scared?"

Ana's face went absolutely venomous, and Yuki had to laugh. She already knew that Ana was hooked.

* * *

It was simple to plan. "First, we'll both beg boredom when Mom and Dad head off to Seyruun," Yuki explained, packing a small shoulderbag full of things she thought she might need. "That way, we'll be alone to head off towards the direction on the map."

Ana was poring over the map in question, one that Yuki had copied hastily and messily from one of Lina's diaries. She was half-listening to Yuki, half-trying to figure out what the symbols all meant. She was rather advanced when it came to magic studies, but some of the symbols alluded her.

"And then," Yuki went on, eyeing a pair of underpants and trying to figure out if she needed so many pairs. "You'll use you magic to sense if there are any Mazoku, and I'll fight my way through them."

"That's stupid," Ana said absently. "If anything, we both would fight them. Mazoku are weak against magic, too."

"Not always," Yuki snapped, getting irritated. This was _her_ trip, after all. "Stop trying to ruin it, Ana-chan."

Ana merely rolled her eyes. "Whatever," was her reply.

"Be ready for it by Saturday, okay?"

"Mm."

Ana sounded bored, but even Yuki knew that she was just as excited as she was. After all, it wasn't every day you got to leave home in search of a sword.

Yuki grinned.

* * *

"Lazy," Lina snapped, her hands on her hips. "Amelia invited you both, and you're repaying her kindness by being lazy. You're ingrates."

Gourry placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing gently. "Aw, relax, Lina," he replied cheerfully. "They don't have to come. they're getting older, after all."

Lina sniffed, eyeing both of her daughters rather closely. There was something odd about the way Ana kept staring at the ceiling, something odder about the way Yuki kept staring at her nails. In fact, she was quite sure her little brats were up to no good.

But she also remembered what it was like being a kid. She let it go. If they got into trouble, she was sure they'd be able to get out of it as well.

"We'll be back in two days," Lina said finally, reaching down with both hands and ruffling their hair respectively, bringing up protests and groans. "Try to have whatever messes you make clean by then."

Ana blushed, and Yuki chewed on her lip, but both nodded. Lina smiled, punched Guorry's shoulder, and together, the two headed out the door.

Later, much later, Lina would be kicking herself for being so naive.

* * *

"I hate it already," Ana whined. She kept her voice in a low whisper, but still. It was still whining.

Yuki sighed in reply, not bothering to waste any words. It was dark within the came, with a weird, wet feeling that hung in the air and seemed to coat their skin. Even with their duel light spells, the dark seemed to grow stronger and threaten to wrap its tendrils around their throats. It was creepy.

And even though she _knew_ they were alone, Yuki couldn't help but fee like they were being watched, somehow. She tightened her grip on her short sword, keeping her senses sharp.

"We should have asked Val-chan to come along," Ana went on in a whisper, her hands held to her chest, her eyes huge on her face. "He would have loved this."

"Val has better things to do than go on adventures with us," Yuki snapped. Ana winced, looking sad, and Yuki felt bad. She knew that Ana missed Val, who had suddenly "vanished" almost two years ago for - what was assumed - personal reasons. Every once and a while, Ana would get a letter from him, letters that usually were flat and sarcastic, but nonetheless gave no hint or indication as to where he was.

Yuki knew that Ana saw Val as a kind of older brother, but Yuki herself wasn't sure what she felt about the young dragon. She was rather ambivalent about him, and yet something about him made her feel uncomfortable. Ana didn't seem to have that problem, however.

Still, it was mean to rub it in that way, regardless. "Sorry," she added.

Ana shrugged, her face hidden by her frizzy hair. It would be a while before she looked up again.

* * *

It was another twenty minutes before monotonous caves gave way to something interesting. before them yawned an immense cavern lit dimly by glowing blue crystals. Yuki and Ana stood, mesmerised by the sight and unable to move for several minutes.

Then, Ana said, "Mom didn't say anything about _this_."

Yuki gulped, then edged forward, holding her sword out before her. She didn't want to admit it, but the sight was rather unnerving, despite its beauty. With a slight shiver, Ana followed, her steps a little wobbly as she slowly turned as she walked, trying to take it all in.

In the centre of the room was a small octagonal platform, raised up from the ground and somewhat shinier than the walls around it. Protruding from its middle was what looked like a sword's handle.

Ana giggled. "That's so cliche, onee-san," she observed.

Yuki scowled at her. "Who cares, as long as it's a sword I can use?"

Slowly, she sheathed her short sword and stepped forward, her eyes on that strange silver hilt. It looked rather plain and dull, such a contrast to the purity of the chamber. With somewhat shaky fingers, she reached out to touch it.

When her fingertips brushed over cold metal, all hell broke loose.

* * *

Lina jolted up in her seat, putting a hand to her chest. Her face went white, her eyes wide, and she snarled a guttural curse word that caused everyone around her to wince. Without another word, she leapt to her feet and tore out of the room, shouting out Gourry's name over her shoulder as she did so.

Gourry watched her for a moment before getting to his feet, bowing briefly to Amelia and Zelgadis before following.

The two sat for a moment in their seats, bemused. Then, slowly, Zelgadis turned to Amelia and smiled slyly. "Follow?" he wondered.

Amelia grinned. "Let's."

* * *

Ana shouted out, but Yuki barely heard her. Something invisible and strong seemed to seize her hand and yank it forward, closing her fingers over the hilt of the sword. With a yelp, she staggered forward, nearly tripping over her own feet. She tried to pull away, but something was keeping her immobilised.

Beside her, the air seemed to flicker and wave before something formed into a vaguely humanoid shape. With it came long fingers that were closed over her own, and she shouted in shock, trying to pull away again.

Ana was muttering something, her voice high and precise, but Yuki's eyes were on what was keeping her in place. It was a Mazoku, she knew - that much was obvious. But it was all angles and limbs, bright white and faceless...except for a wide and gaping mouth that was twisted into a pleased grin.

"Thank you, little girl," the Mazoku said, its voice oddly void of any gender distinction. "Now, if you could be so kind as to pull for me, that would be quite wonderful."

"_Elmekia Flame!_"

The lance of magic arced through the air and, with precise aim, sliced into the bared shoulder of the Mazoku. It staggered backward in surprise, its grip loosening on Yuki's hand, but not enough to free her fingers from the tight vise.

"So," the Mazoku said. "We have another little girl in the mix, one that can use magic. And yet both of you have the same annoying blood running through your cursed veins."

Yuki looked over and saw Ana standing there, looking like a tiny little magician-soldier, her face dark with concentration and her hands held out before her in warning. In an instant, she was grateful to her, so grateful that she brought her along and that she was - although she loathed to admit it - braver than Yuki.

"Let her go," Ana said slowly, her voice high-pitched with fear that didn't show in her stance. "Or I'll kill you."

The Mazoku snorted. It tightened its hold on Yuki's hand for a moment, so hard that all she saw was white, before - and this would give her nightmares - breaking its own arm away from the hand and leaving it behind over hers. She yelped out in sudden fear and nausea, but the Mazoku ignored her, already growing back another hand and turning towards her little sister.

* * *

Ana hoped that the Mazoku had no idea just how much she was bluffing. She hoped it couldn't see her shaking knees. She hoped it would buy her threat and leave Yuki alone.

And then it broke its own hand off before letting Yuki go. And that's when she knew she was in big, big trouble.

But then something in her mind just..._shut on_...and she let it. She clenched her jaw and started chanting, slowly moving backwards in order to keep distance between her and the Mazoku.

It was laughing, but she didn't hear it. It was taunting her, but it was nothing but white noise. All that mattered was that she got the words out and that they formed the spell she needed.

_Except you've never even used it before_, her mind supplied unhelpfully, _so you don't even know if you can do it._

_Shut up,_ was her answering thought, feeling the strain on her energy as she continued to chant.

* * *

Yuki watched this, recognising what spell it was by how Ana moved her arms. She broke into a cold swat, determined not to stand by and watch this happen without a good fight. She twisted herself backwards, her free hand groping for her sheathed short sword. The tips of her fingers barely skittered over the handle, but it was enough to nudge it from its sheath. With a few more tries, she managed to wiggle it free.

She gripped it, turning back towards her other imprisoned hand. Then, without flinching, she drew back her arm, then thrust it forward, hacking at the Mazoku's abandoned hand with everything she had.

* * *

The Mazoku flinched, the smile upon its face wavering, its elongated limbs twitching randomly. Ana was so startled she almost miscast, only barely managing to hold her attention upon it. As the Mazoku staggered in place, Ana threw out her hands and shouted in a wavering voice, "_Ra Tilt!_"

To her surprise, the shout was echoed by two other voices. Three sets of bright white flames engulfed the Mazoku and devoured it on the spot, so quickly that it was almost anti-climactic.

Yuki hacked away at the now-slack remains of the Mazoku, freeing her hand from the hilt with a slight yelp of pain. She rubbed feeling back into her hand slowly before rushing over to her sister's side, grabbing onto her before she became a puddle in her sudden exhaustion.

"That was _amazing_" Yuki told her with a smile.

Ana shrugged her shoulders slowly, looking pale and worried. "That wasn't all me," she admitted faintly, her eyes flicking over to the left. Yuki followed her gaze, only to feel her blood freeze in her veins.

Standing there, with their hands held out were Amelia and Zelgadis. Behind them was Lina, being restrained by Gourry, who was fighting to get free. However, to both sisters' surprise, the look on her face wasn't one of rage, but of _fear_.

When Gourry let go, Lina threw herself forward, pushing past Amelia and lunging for her daughters. She threw her arms around them, gathering them up into her arms and pressing them against her slight form, uttering something like a shout and a sob mixed together.

Wordlessly, Yuki hugged back, pulling Ana closer as well. For a moment, all three just huddled together, a mass of shaking limbs and winding-down adrenaline. When Gourry came forward and placed his arms around the trio, it seemed to signify that it was finally and actually over, as quickly as it had begun.

* * *

The moment they got home, Lina's fist came down and slammed into Yuki's head first, then Ana's. Both girls squealed in pain, clutching their heads and looking at their father for some help, but Gourry merely looked at them with a hard look before walking into the kitchen, preparing to make tea.

"You little _rats_," Lina snarled, looming over them. Even though Yuki was almost taller than her mother, she still managed to find a way to seem bigger. "First you pilfer and paw through my own personal diaries, and then you use that information to almost get yourselves _killed_. I should sell you and buy myself a _dog_!"

"Dogs aren't that expensive," Zelgadis broke in as he walked into the house, Amelia behind him. "You could probably buy a dragon for that amount."

Yuki blushed crimson, dismayed that Zelgadis had not only seen her look like a weak kitten, but also because he was not only watching her be disciplined, _he was also helping_. It was like she was in the seventh circle of hell already.

"Zel-chan, don't be a jerk," Amelia chided gently, reaching up and giving his ear a flick. He winced, but smiled.

"Hahaha!" Lina answered without humour. "Shut up, Zel!" She turned back to her daughters. "You two idiots would have been dead if not for us finding you! I sealed that Mazoku myself, and you thought you two little brats would be strong enough to kill it? Please?"

"So why didn't you kill it to begin with, then?" Yuki wondered sullenly.

"Oh, it's not dead," Amelia chimed it, walking into kitchen to help Gourry with the tea. "It'll be back again once it learns how to rebuild itself. Even with three Ra Tilts, it'll live."

Lina reached down and grabbed an ear from them each, tugging. Zelgadis reached in and slapped her hands away, earning a growl from her. "They get it, Lina," he said flatly. "Let it go."

Lina wheeled around and threw her hands up into the air, uttering something incoherent but nonetheless angry. Without another word, she grabbed a straw hat and went out the door, slamming it behind her. soon, they heard the sound of her voice mumbling curses and kicking at the plants in the garden, her form of cultivating plantlife.

Gourry took this chance to walk over to them both, kneeling down and placing a hand on each shoulder. Both Yuki and Ana looked up at him and saw that his face was kind, but his eyes were dark. "She'll calm down in a bit, but girls..." and here he sighed slowly, the only evidence that he actually felt the same amount of stress as his wife. "Never, ever do that again. If you want adventures, don't be afraid to _ask us first_."

Slowly, they both nodded. That was something they would always remember for the rest of their lives.

* * *

Later, much later, Lina knocked on Yuki's door. She had been curled up in bed, feeling guilty and confused, rubbing her still-bruised writs slowly, when Lina peered in and said, "I know you're awake."

Yuki raised her head, and Lina smiled. Yuki sat up in surprise; Lina's anger was gone. In its place was a kind of embarrassment. Carefully, Lina walked into the room, stepping over randomly left clothes and books and daggers, her arms full of a stack of books. She walked to Yuki's bed and dropped them onto it. "Here you go," she said.

Yuki blinked, beyond confused now. Lina sat down on the bed beside her. "I'm sorry," her mother admitted, reaching up and stroking Yuki's hair softly. "I should have recognised that you were restless sooner. But really, Yuki-chan, next time just _ask_." She gave Yuki's hair a light tug, then moved to get up from the bed.

"Mom," Yuki called, stopping her. "Sorry."

Lina smiled, her eyes closing into crescents. "You should be," she replied with a laugh.

That night, Yuki stayed up the whole while, reading those diaries without a break.


	16. Celebration?

_Writer's Note: Written just for Pharoah_999. She always gets me to write Slayers. I can't say I mind too much._

**Warning: Occurs during my series and contains spoilers. It has no reference or relation to Revolution or Evolution.**

"So... Gourry... Here's the thing." Lina's voice was tentative, a strange tone to be heard from her, but it wasn't something she found she could help. The news she had could be either good or bad, depending on the person receiving it, and while she was sure it was good, she wondered if somehow, it was bad.

"Mm," Gourry murmured in response, unaware of the internal trepidation his wife was struggling with. All he cared about was buffing out the dent in the pitchfork for one of their customers, a particularly irritable farmer who lived a few blocks down but who paid really well.

"So, you know how things have been lately," Lina went on, her hands fussing with the front of her shirt nervously - yet another strange thing to see.

"Mm," he replied helpfully.

"Or do you? Are you even aware of _anything?_" she suddenly snapped, his indifference turning her mood caustic.

"I'm aware that you're upset about something," he answered absently, in the same tone of voice. She sighed. _Trust him to be observant while being distracted_, she thought.

"Yeah," she agreed in defeat, unsure if she could manage a plausible lie, anyway. "And you know how we've been sort of... idle? Or, er, maybe not _idle_, really, but, you how things have been... quiet?"

Gourry raised his head, his eyes round and wide. He stared at her. "Did I just hear you _babble_?" he demanded.

Lina went red, the heat in her face matching the heat of her temper. "Shut up! Just answer yes or no!"

Gourry lowered the fork, clearly understanding that not only was this weird, but it was something he needed to pay attention to. "Yes, I can agree with you things have been quiet... mostly."

Lina raised a brow. "Mostly?"

He smiled easily. "Well, you're pretty loud on your own."

Her eyes narrowed. "I see you're looking to get your ass kicked."

He smiled innocently. She sighed and decided to get to it. "Look, Gourry... You and I have been alone for a while, now, right?"

He nodded. "It feels like forever!"

"Flattering," she said sourly. "And while I know we've gotten used to it, things... kind of change."

"How so?" he wondered, blinking slowly.

Lina fidgetted again, looking down. Her cheeks went pink. "Uhm, so... you remember a few months ago, in Sairaag?"

Gourry blinked again. "Sairaag?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "When we went to see Sylphiel, and they were celebrating the completion of the new city, and there was lots of partying and drinking, and..." She cleared her throat. "We both got drunk?"

"Ohhh," Gourry's eyes focussed, and he smiled. "Yeah, that was a lot of fun."

"Yes, well," Lina scowled at him, "we got a more permanent reminder of that night than the extremely fat innkeeper bills."

"I don't remember anything like that," he admitted. "Did it cost extra?"

Lina was so thrown by this that she answered truthfully. "It will, eventually. But I think we can manage."

"I honestly don't remember anything like that at all!" Gourry admitted, surprising no one.

Lina's patience finally snapped. It was a marvel it hadn't sooner. "You idiotic jellyfish!" she snarled, lunging forward and grabbing onto the front of his shirt, yanking him to his feet. "I'm _knocked up_, you oblivious little moron."

Gourry blinked in that slow way once more. "I don't think I know what that means!"

"Pregnant," she elaborated. "With child. Going to have a baby. Giving birth in nine months." The words were fired out between her teeth.

Gourry stared, the colour leaving his face with each word. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, very meekly, Gourry said, "What does that have to do with Sairaag?"

She threw him down onto the floor and shrieked something incomprehensible. He winced, rubbing his backside, scrambling to conclude what the connection was.

_Drunk. Parties. Innkeeping bill. Baby?_

_Oh._

Oh...

Gourry's face went scarlet. "I thought we had been safe that time!" he yelped.

Lina laughed bitterly. "The first time? Yes. The second, third, and fourth times? _No!_"

"Was it _really_ that many times?" Gourry wondered, sounding suddenly very impressed. "And we were both drunk? That's awesome."

_"Gourreeee!"_ Lina cried, sounding like he had stepped on her.

"Linaaaa!" he replied cheerfully, throwing his arms out. "We're pregnant! We're going to have a baby!"

He sounded so cheerful and genuine that she froze, her foot raised to kick him in the face. "You sound happy!" she accused. "Is this a trick?"

"No!" he answered. "Hug me!"

She did, spitefully at first, but then gradually relaxing when she realised that this (probably) wasn't a trick. "So... you're not scared?" she mumbled into his shoulder.

"Oh, I'm scared," Gourry replied, his voice sofr and warm. Lina burrowed closer. "But it's a _good_ kind of scared."

She smiled. "Yeah," she agreed. "Me, too."


End file.
